It is almost Mother’s Day. Stumped for that perfect gift? Give the gift of gardening to the mother in your life. Here are some suggestions that are sure to please.
Begonias
Flowers
While cut flowers are soon spoiled, flowering plants can give years of satisfaction. Flowering houseplants can brighten any room. Outdoors, warm-season annuals can really make your landscape beds pop for Mother’s Day. Our top five are:
Begonias (Begonia x benaratensis)
Salvia (Salvia officinalis)
Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri)
Sunpatiens
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)
Outdoor Furniture
Sitting outdoors in nature has been shown to make people feel better. Of course, you need something to sit on. Give the gift of durable outdoor furniture that is comfortable and looks great. Furniture needs to be sturdy and resist the weather or it will not look nice for long. Of course, if you have a roofed outdoor living space, the furniture can be nicer than if you put it out without any protection.
Bird Attractants
Bird watching is a widely popular activity for a reason. They are so fun to watch, and you never know what species will show up. Many people put out bird feeders, birdbaths, and birdhouses to encourage birds to linger in the yard. You can even get birdhouses with a clear wall that sticks to a window so you can watch the parents raise their chicks. Remember that most birds are territorial so you may need more than one feeder to accommodate them all. Hummingbirds are notorious for protecting a feeder, so spread several out in your landscape.
Wildflower Mix
It is no secret that bees and other pollinators are in trouble. Do your part by dedicating an area to wildflowers that bloom from spring through the first frost. There are many places to get wildflower mixes for our area. All you have to do is sprinkle the seeds on a prepared bed and water them in. Mother nature takes care of the rest. These colorful beds look nice while doing good.
Water Feature
Water features can be mesmerizing to watch and make a pleasant burble to listen to. Just try to stay tense while around one. A water feature can be as simple as a large pot with a bubbler on the porch or as complicated as a huge wall of water flowing into a pond. There is something for every budget.
Garden Care Subscription
Give the gift of a beautiful and maintenance-free landscape. Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can take care of your landscape all year long with our garden care subscription plan. Lauryn Pitts, our new garden care specialist and her crew will do everything from getting your landscape ready for spring to monitoring the health of all your plants every month. Call today at (816) 825-2524 to get a free estimate for your landscape garden care subscription and to get on our schedule.
At Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping, we strive to give you the best customer experience and craftsmanship possible. We do that from the time you first contact us all the way through the installation process. On the other end, we can maintain your landscape for you or help you learn to do it yourself. Here is what to expect from us.
Consultation Scheduling
You can schedule a consultation at the best time for you instead of having to meet when you are busy or pressed for time. Our system allows you to upload photos of your current landscape and any photos of what you want it to look like. Your written description of what you want means we can begin thinking of how to get there from where your landscape is now. Documenting before and after in our scheduling system allows us to prepare for your consultation and use your time in the best way possible.
Communication System
We don’t take your money and disappear. From the time you sign the contract to the final walk-through, we communicate in emails that explain what is happening at any given stage of the project. Our team will also communicate by email and text to let you know what has been finished and what the next steps will be.
Team Effort
Every one of our employees plays a vital part in your customer service experience. From Andy Wright, our president, and salesman, to the newest member of the Blue Crew, we live our C.R.O.W.N. values:
Communication Priority
If we don’t communicate well, it causes problems. We will make sure we understand what you want. In addition, all communications within our company will give every employee that information. If someone has a question, they are empowered to speak up and ask it. There are no stupid questions.
Respectful Attitude
We do not tolerate rude or disrespectful behavior from our employees or clients. Everyone should be treated as a valued person, whether they are the boss, the client, or a ditch digger.
Ownership Mentality
We encourage our employees to own the installation. If they see a mistake or know how to make an installation run smoother, they are encouraged to speak to their supervisor. Employee innovation helps us grow better.
Willingness to Serve
We lead from the front. If we see a need, every one of our employees is willing to pitch in to help. Our employees are in it for the long haul and genuinely want to serve our customers.
Never-Ending Pursuit of Our Potential
Our employees continue to grow as people and as skilled craftsmen. We take continuing education units (C.E.U.s) every year to maintain our certifications or gain new ones. We know the latest best practices for our craft. If there is a better way to do things, we want to learn it. We also support employees that want to advance in our company.
Tammy, our office manager, fields phone calls, makes sure utilities are flagged for our crew, and makes sure the materials the Blue Crew needs are at the right place on the right day.
Field staff Trained in Customer Service
All of our field staff speak English and are trained in customer service. This training is reinforced in weekly meetings. There is also a logistics meeting every week to make sure we have the materials and people ready to go at each step of the process. Henry, our field supervisor, makes sure everything gets done right and on time. Finally, the members of the Blue Crew meet every morning to go over the day’s tasks. Their job plan reports contain the exact language in your contract, so you get everything you paid for.
When your project is done, we make sure that you know how to care for the new plants. We have watering, fertilization, and pruning care guides., We also have virtually any information you need to keep your landscape looking great. Just ask us.
Garden Care Subscription
Sometimes, trying to maintain a landscape yourself is a burden. Maybe you are too busy or unable to care for it as it should be taken care of. We have a solution for that. When you subscribe to our garden care subscription, we maintain your landscape for you. Lauryn, our garden care specialist, makes sure that your plants get exactly what they need to thrive. Call Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping today at (816) 825-2524 to get a free estimate for your landscape garden care subscription and to get on our schedule.
Still Hiring
If you are interested in a career in landscaping, we are hiring. Check our career page for details.
I would like to introduce you to Lauryn Pitts, our new garden care specialist. Starting April 4th, she and her team will be checking on each of your landscapes to get them ready for Spring. In addition, she will monitor the health of your garden plants, keep an eye out for any issues or challenges with your property, and share ideas to make your landscape flourish even more.
Credentials
Lauryn is certified in designing and installing landscapes as well as horticultural practices. She loves educating people about plants. Her favorite flowers are Gerber daisies and sunflowers. She loves designing planters full of flowers and has been known to take a customer to a nursery to help them choose new plants for their landscape.
Life-long Gardener
Her first memory of gardening is when she was about three years old. Her family had just moved into a new house. Her father was ripping out the old landscaping and her mother was planting new things. Lauryn was right between them helping her mother plant new bulbs.
Learned To Garden
Lauryn has always loved being outdoors and playing in the dirt. Her mother and her paternal grandmother taught her how to grow things. When she graduated from high school, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do for a living. She initially went to school to be a hair stylist, but only lasted about a week stuck inside all day.
Education
A career counselor asked Lauryn what she liked to do. At the time, Lauryn was redoing her father’s landscape, so the counselor suggested she enter a degree program in landscape design and horticulture located in Wisconsin. She started there and has never looked back. Coming from her first big job in Charleston, SC, she is excited to be here.
Closer To Family
Lauryn has relocated from Charleston, South Carolina to join our team. She has family in Oklahoma and Wisconsin, and she is excited to be closer to them. She loved visiting her paternal grandmother in Oklahoma and getting to garden with her all summer. She loves her Wisconsin family, too, but not the cold weather up there.
Making A Career of It
Lauryn is planning to make a career at Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. If you would like her to suggest some ways to take your landscape to the next level, schedule a consult. She will be available starting in early May after she finishes her initial rounds to wake up everyone’s gardens for the season.
Still Hiring
If you are interested in a career in landscaping, we are hiring. Check our career page for details.
In the era of the great resignation with many job seekers in the marketplace, there is an abundance of good careers that pay well in the green industry. These jobs have a clear path to advancement. More importantly, they improve people’s lives in readily observable ways. If you like horticulture, construction, and spending time outdoors, then a green career might be right for you. Here are some of the jobs available and what it takes to do them.
Outdoor Living Specialist
If you enjoy building things but don’t want to spend the time getting a degree in engineering, this might be the right place for you. As an apprentice, you are involved in building hardscaped areas and creating beautiful garden spaces. As you become more accomplished, you can rise to become a crew lead or foreman.
Garden Care Specialist
After a landscape is planted, this person maintains the landscape. As seasons change, you will be planting seasonal color, caring for trees and shrubs, maintaining landscape beds, and replacing dead plants. While no degree is required, an interest in horticulture and a willingness to learn is important for advancing from an apprentice to crew foreman.
Lawn Care Specialist
This individual applies fertilizer and treats for pests and diseases. They focus on the health of the turf. A Certified Commercial Applicator license is required. A certain amount of experience applying pesticides and fertilizers under the supervision of a certified commercial applicator is required, or an associate degree or higher in Biology, Chemistry, Agriculture, or Entomology. This involves passing the Core Competency test and the Certified Commercial Applicator test, usually given at the same time. Every three years, you must take a recertification class to maintain the license.
Arborist
An arborist specializes in trees. They maintain them through regular pruning, treat for diseases and pests, and recommend trees for certain places in a landscape. Arborists are certified through the International Society of Arboriculture. You will need to pass a certification test. You can only take the test after one of these occurs:
At least three years of full-time (1,795 hours counts as one year) work under a certified arborist,
An associate degree with at least two courses on arboriculture and two years full-time experience under a certified arborist
A four-year degree with at least four courses in arboriculture and one year of full-time experience
Pass an assessment based vocational program providing at least 900 hours of assessed training with a minimum focus of 90 hours directly related to arboriculture plus two years of practical fulltime experience in arboriculture
Pass an assessment based vocational program providing at least 1,800 hours of assessed training with a minimum focus of 180 hours directly related to arboriculture plus one year of practical fulltime experience in arboriculture
Some apprenticeship programs also work
For more information, see the International Society of Arboriculture application guide.
Project Management
This is a field supervisor position. You need to be able to wear many hats:
Logistics of getting the right people and materials to the job site at the right time.
Skilled in customer relations.
Possess a good understanding of job profitability.
Juggling labor hours and materials budgets.
Being able to manage skilled staff.
A degree in logistics or years of experience are generally required to obtain this position.
Administration
This position is a crucial role and they have several responsibilities and keep the ship running smoothly. These professionals make sure all the bills get paid, and invoices are sent out. They do accounting, human resource management, and payroll. They also are receptionists and are often the first people potential customers talk to. Many have years of office management experience, a degree in accounting or human resources, or a combination.
Salesperson
In design/build most cases, the designer is the salesperson. They need a degree in landscape design, landscape architecture, or horticulture with classes in business and sales. They need to be able to use Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software and to be able to make sketches in the field to leave with the customer. They also need to understand the processes in construction and how to estimate the labor, equipment, and material for projects.
Marketing
This position manages the marketing strategy and budget. They build brand awareness and make sure potential customers know about the business. They cultivate qualified leads for the sales staff. This includes writing blog posts, social media management, creating and managing the website, and all channels that represent the brand.
Account Managers
This person needs a horticulture background as well as sales training. They manage maintenance contracts with commercial building management, homeowner’s associations, and other long-term commercial clients. They also make sure those contracts are renewed and point out enhancement opportunities.
C-Suite Executives
There can be several C-level positions found in the green industry. Any or all can be owners in the company. However, there are many C-level professionals that are not owners and help run green industry companies.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
The person in charge of day-to-day decisions on running the company. This person may have a business degree, a landscape architect degree, or a landscape design degree. This requires quite a bit of experience and expertise. They need to understand team building, system implementation, and financial management. The CEO shapes the vision, mission, and culture of the organization.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
This person oversees the health of the company. They develop yearly budgets, revenue forecasts, and report any problems with the finances of the company. They usually have a degree in business or economics and quite a bit of experience. The CFO can help manage the accounting department.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
A relatively new position, this person manages the software and hardware necessary to run the business, including the customer management software, website, fleet tracking applications, GPS tracking, and integrating all of these systems. They help manage the website, SEO, and security for the company. They also help to identify and automate systems for the company to be more efficient. A computer science degree and a good understanding of business and horticultural, as well as years of experience.
Chief Recruiting Officer (CRO)
In this job market, this person can champion the effort to build awareness for the company culture and to help bring in potential candidates to join the team. This could be a growing opportunity in our industry, especially for established firms that seek great team members.
More Information
If you are interested in learning more about any of these careers, please contact Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping. We will be happy to talk about them with you. We currently have openings for many of these positions. Go to Royalcreationslandscaping/careers to fill out an application and see if you can join the Blue Crew.
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping is proud to announce we are a Small Business Superstar for 2022. We were recognized by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce after someone nominated us. This recognizes any small business that is submitted, has fewer than 250 employees, is a for-profit business, and is headquartered in Greater Kansas City. We are in the running for Small Business of the Year 2022.
Our Purpose
We are thrilled that our vendors, employees, and customers regard us so highly. When we started out in 2013:
“We started the business to better serve our clients as well as our employees. We believe that the customer experience is as important as the design and craftsmanship of the project, and we are continually striving to improve the experience for our clients through our core values. We also believe that our team members inherently want to succeed and that it is our responsibility to define how success looks. Therefore, we are continually developing our team’s skills in the field as well as the culture and mindset which directly reflects in the customer’s experience.”
Love of Nature
Landscapes should bring their owners joy. We love nature and want to bring that feeling to our customers. Our outdoor living spaces extend the comfort of your home into nature. You can enjoy the outdoors more days of the year with outdoor rooms, a few added items like fire pits, or a few chairs in a gazebo. You should not have to travel to enjoy nature.
Beauty You Can Enjoy
Whether it is looking out the window or hosting a party, your landscape should please you. More, it should reflect you. Some people want colorful flowers everywhere, some want trees and shrubs to be the stars. We can work with you to bring your dream into reality.
Our Promise
Our company promise is: “We strive to give our clients the best experience and craftsmanship possible.” This is true whether we are mowing the lawn or building an outdoor living space with a fireplace and big screen TV, or a roof over the patio. We always do our best. If you are not happy with the results, we will do our best to make it right.
It Will Not Go To Our Head
As thrilled as we are, we will not let this award go to our heads. We will work just as hard in meeting your future needs as we did meeting your past needs. If you need us, we will be happy to help you. Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping looks forward to spring when we can start crafting your landscape for 2022. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and get started.
